Every six seconds, regardless of age or gender, someone will die from a stroke. Stroke is the second leading cause of death for people above the age of 60 years. Besides, every day some 500 people die of stroke, or brain attack, in Pakistan, and hundreds become permanently disabled.
There are now more than six million strokes per year in the world, and stroke, along with heart diseases, cancers, diabetes, and chronic respiratory diseases, is a non-communicable disease whose risk is increased by cigarette smoking, unhealthy diet, physical inactivity, and excessive alcohol. Global predictions indicate that the incidence of fatal stroke (along with heart disease and cancers) will continue to rise. It estimates almost 8 million per year by 2030.
"In 80 percent of cases, the cause is high blood pressure and hypertension, which needs to be controlled to a permissible level," said former secretary general Pakistan Dr Qaiser Sajjad. This can be done by following a regulated lifestyle and physical exercise.
Stroke can be substantially reduced by active lifestyle, cessation of smoking and a healthy diet. Both public and professional education should promote the awareness that a healthy lifestyle and nutrition have the potential to reduce the burden of stroke" he said.
"This decreased prevalence, morbidity and mortality of stroke is largely attributable to effective blood pressure control, establishment of stroke units for acute stroke care and effective use of pharmacologic therapy as well as rehabilitation facilities in the modern world," he added.
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